


I Got Kidnapped By a Mass Murderer and All I Got Was a Stupid Boyfriend

by PetalsToFish



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, I wish I had an excuse for turning a very sad prompt into a humor filled hot mess, It's Not Paranoia If They're Really Out To Get You, Jily Challenge, Jilytober 2018, Tumblr: jilytober, but we all know I can't stop won't stop, jily, scooby doo meets the goonies meets the marauders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-06 19:58:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16394132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PetalsToFish/pseuds/PetalsToFish
Summary: "Lily, I have to tell you something really important and if I don't tell you now I will never get the chance. I lo–" [explosion] AU was given to me by jilychallenge for jilytober and this was probably meant to be angsty but it quickly turned into humor/angst (it's a thing). Shoutout to scaredofrobots for the long (yet hilarious) title that gives away the entire plot. Another shoutout to Gryffindormischief for beta-ing and not complaining when she saw it was thirty pages long.





	I Got Kidnapped By a Mass Murderer and All I Got Was a Stupid Boyfriend

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scaredofrobots](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scaredofrobots/gifts).



"Okay, nobody panic, but that crackpot wizard will be back at any moment to cut us open and I'm too young to die!"

There was a chorus of groans that rose through the dungeon as Sirius Black, trouble attractor extraordinaire, attempted to sooth his gang of mildly annoyed friends. Lily Evans lifted her head so that her red hair no longer was a curtain in front of her face, all so she could glare at Sirius. James laughed next to Lily, amused by her disdain. Lily didn't find the situation any parts hilarious since she and the others were currently chained to a brick wall in the basement of some nutcase's house. Remus Lupin and Sirius were chained together, something Peter Pettigrew swore would kill them all if Sirius and Remus didn't stop bickering like an old married couple.

"Don't panic," Remus scoffed, "says the very bloke that got us into this mess in the first place when he said we ought to follow Gamp after spotting him on the Knightbus."

"Listen, he's the one who was getting all buddy-buddy with Alex Hutchins." Sirius said.

"Alex Hutchins is a possible Death Eater." Remus snarled, "Gamp meanwhile, is a madman."

"Aren't they the same thing, anyhow?" Sirius said.

"No!" Remus bemoaned, "Because we can take Death Eaters-they're not wizards who want to dissect us for their magic projects!"

"How was I supposed to know he'd want to experiment on us?" Sirius snapped, "I thought he was a normal Death Eater."

"Sirius unless you have a plan to get out of here, please shove it." Lily snapped, straining against her chains beside James, "the only reason we're alive is because he wants to rip us open, one by one, for his weird experiments!"

Sirius' cool eyes were gazing around the cellar, "we don't know that."

"Only we do," Lily said, "Because he _monologued_ his entire plan to us!"

"Why do they do that?" James wondered out loud, "Monologuing gives us time to make a plan."

"If a villain doesn't monologue," Remus said, "Is he really a villain?"

"We should've just gone to the movies tonight to see that horror sci-fi flick like Lily suggested," Peter muttered sourly, "I could be eating popcorn and tim-tams right now."

"Yeah," Lily snorted mirthlessly, "Happy Halloween to us, we're going to die."

Sirius looked put out, "I was only trying to give us a real life, horror movie experience."

Lily pointed at Sirius accusingly, "Did you know in horror movies they kill the pretty ones first?"

Sirius' face soured, "That's not funny, Evans."

"It's a shame you're so pretty, Black." Lily shrugged, "you'll be the damsel we'll have to save."

Sirius narrowed his eyes, "I regret the day Dumbledore ever paired you up with us. We were fine until you came along."

"It's not my fault you blokes kept getting yourselves into trouble and Dumbledore wanted you to have a babysitter." Lily shot back, "I was perfectly happy, working on my own."

"You act like no one knows that _you're_ the one who set fire to Malfoy's house." Remus rolled his eyes, "You are literally as much a trouble as us."

"Yeah but Dumbledore doesn't know that." Lily tossed her hair, "and he never will, as long as you keep your mouth shut."

"I'll tell him." Sirius muttered unintelligibly, "if it means you'll stop acting like you don't fuck up."

"At least I don't get all my friends captured in one go." Lily argued with Sirius irritably, "It's like the bloody Monty Python Circus being around you four...one minute we're on our way to the cinema...the next we're chained up in a mass murderers basement."

"Be honest Evans," James teased beside her, "You _like_ working with us."

"I'd like it better if I weren't tied up in a basement next to you."

"Why are you mad at me?" James asked, mulish, "I didn't chain you to this wall!"

"Your best mate is the reason we're here!" Lily made sure Sirius knew her glare was aimed at him, "I'm angry at you simply by association."

"Great." James snorted, rolling his eyes, "guilty by association."

"It's fine Lily," Sirius simpered, "Gamp will probably take James to torture first anyways."

"Me?" James looked at his best friend, offended, "I'm not an easy break!"

"You became the easy break when you were screaming and threatening to rip Gamp limb by limb when he was tying Lily up." Sirius shot back quickly.

"Yeah," Remus took the mickey out on James, "That was a little too much, mate."

"Tone down the feelings." Sirius added, "Or people might think you two actually _like_ each other."

Lily and James both blushed, looking away from each other determinedly. Leave it to Sirius to make the situation more uncomfortable than it already was. The bastard knew what he was doing and smiled triumphantly when Lily's shoulders dropped in defeat.

"Oh," Peter snickered, "Suddenly they're shy."

"I told you we should've locked 'em in the closet at the safe house." Remus muttered back and Lily blushed harder, sneaking a glance to see James was sending his mates a nasty look.

The touchy subject of Lily and James' relationship (a hot mess of lust and passion) was easy to pick on when the group of teenaged war rebels wanted to take a hit at something. Sirius noted their guilty faces and clucked his tongue.

"I'm just giving you two lovebirds a reason to shag again when we survive tonight, so you're welcome for a great Halloween."

"Shag _again_?" Lily frowned at Sirius, confused.

"I heard you two last night." Sirius winked, "the walls at the safe house are thin."

"You're bluffing." Lily challenged Sirius.

"You told James he looked good in his quidditch sweater." Sirius said lazily as Lily's face reddened and James' groaned echoed through the room, "And he told you that it'd look better on you."

"Having you as a best friend is simultaneously the best and worst thing that has happened to me," James said dryly.

"Oi!" Sirius argued, "I am the _best_ thing that's ever happened to you, James Potter and you better not ever forget it! Even while you're shagging Evans."

"At this rate I'm apt to never touch James again," Lily said loudly, "If it means shutting you up."

"He never shuts up," Remus said miserably, "He won't shut up until he dies."

"Not even then," Sirius disagreed loudly, "I'd come back to haunt my mum and James."

"We can't let him die today," James said jokingly, "For his mums sake-not even Voldemort deserves being haunted by the world's most dramatic wizard."

Lily interrupted in an annoyed raised voice, "can we please focus on the problem at hand?"

"There's a problem?" Sirius blinked at Lily vaguely.

"Yes, Sirius." Lily said slowly, "because we're in the basement that belongs to a mad wizard who's about to make being chained to the wall the _least_ of our troubles."

"We're in trouble?" Sirius sent Lily a shite eating grin as her face grew redder, "I hadn't noticed."

"What slipped your capacities?" Lily shot at Sirius, "Gamp trapping us in this house after we stupidly followed him on your orders? Or the fact that we're chained to a fucking wall?"

Sirius looked offended and James chuckled, using his foot to kick her gently, capturing her attention. Lily turned to look directly into James' eyes and she gulped as she was reminded just how attractive her on-again-off-again bed sharer really was. Honestly, she didn't know why she kept telling him that they couldn't be more than friends. She'd never been so mesmerised or challenged by someone her entire life. As quickly as he could work her up-he could bring her down just as swiftly with his calming hand at her cheek and hazel eyes smouldering in the dark.

"Easy, Evans." He soothed with a small wink, "we've been in worse scraps before."

Lily looked at James doubtfully, "You've got to be kidding me?"

"Remember a few weeks ago when we were undercover as a honeymooning couple in Ireland, chasing that druid?" James grinned, "That was a bad scrap."

"You two spent half the time feeling each other up in a motel room and I wasn't chained to a wall, so it wasn't all that traumatic." Remus grimaced, shaking his chains together.

"That's 'cause you didn't walk in on them in the shower." Peter shuddered from his spot on the floor and Sirius patted Peter on the back sympathetically.

"We were just keeping up our undercover status as honeymooners." Lily alliterated firmly, "That druid was onto James and I-we had to convince him somehow."

"Okay." Sirius snorted with a knowing look at Remus as Lily crossed her arms, "Sure, shagging to keep up the heist- _that's_ not the biggest shite excuse I've ever heard. What was your excuse last night?"

"Merlin, why did I say we should all go to a movie together?" Lily grunted, "I should've gone alone. I'd be back at the safe house by now, in bed, where I belong."

"You said you wanted an adventure!" Sirius pointed accusingly at Lily, "Something to get your mind off the war!"

"Well, congratulations!" Lily threw her hands up, "Now all I can think about is how we're all going to die!"

"Lily." James consoled, "We've fought off way worse Death Eaters than Gamp."

"Name five."

"Malfoy." James listed.

"Snape." Sirius added.

"Crabbe," James continued.

"Goyle!" Peter suggested.

"Snape," Sirius repeated.

Lily shot Sirius a look, "You already said Snape."

"I know." Sirius shrugged, "I just like to remind everyone what a giant bag of horse-shite that git is."

"Snape is arguably the worst Death Eater of all time." James said, "But not in like a good way...in a bad way."

Lily snorted, "What are you on about James?"

James counted with his fingers, "well number one he's shite at dueling, I could take him with my eyes closed."

"His hair is all slimy," Sirius said, unhelpfully, "At least Malfoy has nice hair."

"He never washes his trousers." James added, "Gamp at least looks pretty clean, for a mass murderer."

"On second thought Snape really deserves his own category," Sirius sighed, "it's not fair to put that pathetic bastard on the same pedestal as Voldemort's elite Death Eaters."

James smiled at Sirius, "Have I told you lately that I love you, Padfoot?"

"Don't get all doe-eyed Potter," Sirius teased, "Your fake fiance is next to you."

James pretended to look down in horror at Lily, who wore a unamused expression, "Lily!" he cried, getting on one knee, "You're the apple of my eye and nothing was going on with Sirius, I swear!"

Lily swatted James' hand away dramatically earning a laugh from the other boys as she pretended to be disgusted, "I can't believe you'd cheat on me with that, dog!"

"It's ' _son-of-a-bitch_ ' Evans," Sirius said, "If you want to insult me, do it right."

Remus spoke up, sourly, "not to put a damper on all this fun we're having, chained to a wall, but Gamp will be back soon."

Silence fell around the group as they all considered their options. Their wands were across the way on a table filled with potions and remnants of dead bodies, as is to be expected in a mass murderer's house. Lily fiddled with the metal around her neck, her fingernails scratched at it in annoyance.

"God," she complained out loud, "With this collar I feel like a dog."

"Is there something _wrong_ with dogs?" Sirius piped up with a raised brow in Lily's direction.

Lily sneered at Sirius, "only if you don't like fleas."

Sirius face turned to stone, "You're such a cat person."

"Dog person," Lily stuck her tongue out at Sirius who sent her the bird lovingly.

"Enough, children," James snapped at Lily and best friend respectively, "Remus is right. Gamp will come back and you heard what he said. He tortures us for information while he does his experiments. That's the deal he has with Voldemort, to keep the Dark Lord from killing him. We all need to get out of here alive, or die trying."

"I'm up for not dying," Remus said, "so if anyone has any brilliant ideas..."

"Well I already attempted to turn into Scabbers." Peter said, "so our animagus forms aren't helpful."

"This would be a great time for those secret werewolf powers to magically come out of the closet and free us from our shackles." Sirius nudged Remus suggestively.

"For the twenty thousandth time, Sirius," Remus cringed, "There is no such thing as werewolf powers."

"Unless you count howling," Peter snickered.

James agreed, "Don't forget chewing apart sofas and pillows."

Remus shot an annoyed glare at Peter and James, both of whom, were now shooting off lists of things werewolves could do, "You two are laughing right now but as soon as I get out of these chains, I'm kicking your arses."

James pulled at his own neck collar, "Good luck getting out of these collars without magic or secret werewolf powers."

Lily's eyes had followed James hands as he grasped his locked collar and she saw something that looked familiar. Lily's bedroom door had a similar lock in it. It was a lock she had picked many times in her childhood, especially after she'd been grounded. With a jolt of surprise, Lily wondered if she could pick the old fashioned lock just like she used to pick her bedroom lock as a kid.

"Does anyone here have a pocket knife?" she asked, interrupting the boy's as they argued.

A chorus of similar responses met her urgent question, "No."

Lily chewed on her lip as she stepped closer to James and placed her hands on his cheeks. James, startled, stared down at her in wonderment, as if she were about to kiss him in front of the others. Instead, Lily cocked his head so she could get a better look at his neck. The metal collar was rubbing on his skin, creating red lines as it chafed. One of Lily's fingers traced the front of the collar where the lock was.

"I think I can pick this lock." she muttered and James' eyebrows flew into his hairline.

"Pardon?"

Lily didn't have anything to pick it with, neither did any of the boys. She let her hands fall from James' neck and she stared up into his face, thinking through all her options. James leaned down so that their noses were almost touching.

"How do you pick the lock?"

Lily shook her head and smiled at James, "You've never picked a lock?"

"Well yeah," James said, "But with my wand."

"Oh, you pureblood children," Lily purred, patting James' cheek, "You just don't get the same lock-picking education we muggleborns get."

James chuckled warmly and leaned his cheek into her hand, "Alright, clever muggleborn, how do you pick the lock?"

Lily dropped her hand and put her hand on her cocked hip, "Well, normally I used my pocket knife at home, it had this little screw thingy I could pick my door with. I just need something long and flat. Something sturdy like a- _oh_!"

Lily remembered that she'd done her hair for the movies. Reaching up into her red locks, Lily felt around on the side of her head for one of the bobby pins holding her hair-sprayed curls back from her face. Lily showed James and the others the bobby pin happily.

"Er," James said dumbly, "A hair clip?"

"No, it's a lock pick."

"You pulled it from your hair."

"A smart girl is always fashionably prepared to be kidnapped by a mass murderer."

Lily winked at James before standing on her tiptoes and pushing the bobby pin into James' lock and turning it slightly. Biting on her lower lip, she wiggled the bobby pin left to right and up then down. The boys were quiet as Lily struggled to hear the 'click' from James' collar. If Lily could free James, they stood a higher chance of getting out of the house before the mad wizard could torture them.

Her attempts only grew more desperate when she thought of how Sirius casually mentioned that James would get picked first-all because he'd tried to protect Lily when they were first caught. Lily wouldn't let James die, especially not for her. She didn't deserve him and she knew that he knew it.

"How will this work?" Sirius asked doubtfully from his collar.

"We might not be able to use magic to unlock the locks," Lily said as she played with the bobby pin, "but I bet Gamp has never had a muggleborn trapped down here."

"Which means?" Sirius asked.

"I spent my childhood breaking out of my room when I was grounded." Lily grinned when she felt the bobby pin click into place, "This lock looks almost identical to my bedroom lock."

" _Fuck_ ," James sighed into her ear, "you're so hot when you're clever, Evans."

"I know." Lily smirked as a click resonated through the dungeon and James' collar fell to the floor with a loud clang.

James was free.

Lily beamed up at him as she fell back onto her heels. The others cheered as James pressed a hearty kiss to Lily's forehead. Lily was disappointed it wasn't her lips when he pulled away with a gleeful expression.

"Go get our wands, Potter." she pushed James away, "We can celebrate later."

"Am I invited to this celebration?" Sirius quipped.

"We'll probably be naked," James announced gaily as he waltzed to the wands while Lily worked on her own neck brace.

"In your dreams, Potter," Lily sang happily.

"You're _always_ in my dreams, Lily," James replied back sweetly.

"I've had those," Sirius said, "But I call them nightmares."

Lily shot Sirius a disgruntled look, "Why are you the way that you are?"

"I had a very tragic childhood," Sirius lamated, "my mother hates me."

"My sister hates me," Lily countered, " _And_ my parents died tragically in a car crash."

"Sob it up babies," Remus moodily hit the wall with his foot, "I got bitten by a werewolf."

"You win," Lily and Sirius chime at the same time.

Lily's neck collar was easier to open and she began working on Peter next as James passed out wands. James tucked Lily's wand in her back pocket as she worked on Peter, his mouth sliding dangerously close to the back of her neck while he did so.

"Hands to yourself, Potter," Lily warned, but goosebumps rose on her arms when James' hands slid playfully along her bum when he made his way to Sirius.

He was going to be the death of her, but her eyes watched him go. Her mouth curved into a wicked smirk as she stared at the back of his head. She was stuck fantasizing how fun it would be to attack him from behind, placing her teeth just at the lobe of his ear and-

"Erm, Lily," Peter piped up, "I'd like to be unchained."

Blushing furiously, Lily turned back to Peter's lock. Lily freed Peter, who rubbed his neck gratefully as she moved on to Remus. James, Sirius and Peter all walked over to the table where various bottles and instruments were delicately placed. It was like being in a cartoon mad scientist's cave. There were hundreds of vials all with different concoctions. A boiling cauldron stood at the end of the table and in true Halloween fashion, a skull rested next to it.

Lily had to admit, Sirius knew how to do Halloween, even if he hadn't planned on this at all. Last Halloween, Lily had sat in her knickers alone on her bed at Hogwarts, stuffing her face with candy. At least this year she wasn't alone. She had her friends and James-James who was something more than a friend but without an official title.

She snuck another glance at the messy haired boy as she worked on Remus' shackles.

"What are the chances that any of those bottles are reactors?" James asked suddenly, talking about all the bottles on the table he was examining.

Remus spoke up, "that purple one next to Sirius is _definitely_ poison."

"So don't drink it," Sirius nodded, "good to know."

James grabbed the bottle anyways, "I might pocket this to use on unsuspecting Death Eaters later."

"You're hot when you're being clever," Sirius mocked James and both Lily and James blushed, knowing they'd been caught flirting, again.

Remus and Lily walked over to the table, Remus rubbing his neck where the metal had dug into his already tender skin. Lily sidled up to James' side and she didn't miss how he side stepped into her so that their shoulders brushed. Lily smiled, using her hair as a curtain to block the others from seeing her send James a clever smile. James winked back at her and she knew if they got out of here safe tonight, she wasn't spending the night alone in her bed. James would make sure she didn't have any nightmares.

Everyone examined the bottles, looking for any label that might help them.

"What even is this?" Peter picked up a vial with blue liquid inside of it, smelling it and making a putrid face.

"That," Lily said, taking the vial from Peter, "is definitely liquified mermaid scales."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Mermaid scales are incredibly durable," Lily said, "Some wizards use it as a way to freeze their faces, slow down the aging process."

"Why would Gamp have that?" Peter blanched.

Lily glanced around at her friend, "Probably to preserve the skin he plans on slicing open."

Everyone shivered.

Sirius picked up a vial and Lily thought she recognized it from her many years of studying potions. It was hard to see the swirls in the clear vial but Lily recognized the fleeting colors created against the glass edges.

"Wait!" Lily said eagerly, "I think that's dragon breath!"

"And?" Sirius twirled the clear, empty looking glasses in his hands and Lily motioned for Sirius to pass it over carefully.

"It's got combustible gasses in it, at least three different kinds. That's how dragons breathe fire." Lily explained excitedly, "This will definitely explode."

"Perfect." Sirius looked like Lily had just said Christmas was coming a week early.

"There's just one problem." Lily cautioned.

"What's that?" James raised an eyebrow at Lily, looking disappointed that there was a warning along with her find.

Lily motioned around the room, "It's going to take out, at _least_ , half the house when it explodes."

"Sounds great," Sirius marveled, "Let's use it."

Lily shot Sirius a glare, "With the house collapsing everywhere, we could all die anyways, from falling debris."

"Better than dying by mutilation," Peter muttered to Sirius who agreed with a firm nod.

"Peter's right," Remus opted, "The dragons breath gives some of us a chance at getting out of here alive."

Lily chewed on her lip and glanced at James, who was looking around at his mates as if debating their options. Lily took James hand and he looked down at her. Suddenly his face grew firm.

"We use the dragon's breath," James said, "And we're all getting out of here alive."

"How?" Remus asked, "If we can't use magic down here…"

"We can," James said, wiping his wand through the air and creating sparks, "we might not be able to apparate or unlock things-but Gamp can't keep me from blowing up a room."

"Thank Merlin, James loves to blow things up," Sirius snickered, "Remembered when you made all the cauldrons explode in first year? Old Slughorn had a heart attack."

James grinned and jutted his chest out proudly, "I'll never forget the look on Sluggy's face when Snape's cauldrons exploded first and covered the blackboard in putrid slime..."

"Anyways," Remus moved forward to take the glass bottle, "How does this work."

Lily explained quickly, "We need to be as far from it as possible and one of us has to hit the with a decent _Confringo_ as soon as Gamp opens that door."

"I'll do it!" Peter volunteered, always eager to play hero.

"Peter you once hit a suit of armor, instead of your partner, in dueling club," Remus said doubtfully, "Forgive me for voting James in as our spell caster."

"James is a shoddy choice!" Peter argued immediately, "he's got glasses for bloody sake! At least my vision is twenty-twenty!"

"I still vote James."

"James once waved to a portrait in the hall and called it mum because he couldn't see it straight!"

"I was drunk!" James protested.

"I vote James," Sirius tried to end the argument, "He doesn't wet the bed when he has a nightmare."

Peter was desperate to win this fight, "James puts his robes on backwards in the mornings!"

Sirius patted Peter's shoulder lightly, "Sorry Wormy, he's still a better shot than you."

Lily put her head in her hand, "Merlin, if we get out of here, I'm asking Dumbledore for a group reassignment."

James nudged her, "Don't you dare!"

"He's literally half blind," Peter ignored James and Lily staring each other down, "He's wearing mismatching socks today! Look!"

Lily's eyes dragged from James' face down to his feet. Coming out of one shoe was a rumpled scarlet sock. Meanwhile, the other foot was covered with a black sock. James flushed red as Lily giggled into her hand and Sirius snickered loudly too.

"How trustworthy can a bloke be," Peter asked with the voice of a well rounded politician, "If he can't even wear matching socks?"

"I will take one of my mismatched socks off and _choke_ you with it, if you keep talking shit, Wormtail," James threatened.

Peter crossed his arms and snorting said, "I'm just being honest."

"I'm doing this." James commanded, "I'm not letting any of you have a chance at being killed."

Lily chewed on her lip as she realized James was going to be the one closest to the dragons breath when it exploded. He was risking his life for all of them, for her. A lurch in her stomach made her realize exactly how much it horrified her at the thought of not seeing his face around in Order meetings anymore. It terrified Lily to suddenly imagine going to the safe house and not finding James nursing a new bruise on the couch with a firewhiskey. It made her heart feel like it was dropping into her stomach when she thought of never feeling his lips touch her in the dark when they were being stupid, reckless teenagers in love.

Immediately she stepped forward, one hand reaching out to grab James' arm to try and talk him out of risking his life when Sirius Black-of all people-suddenly stepped forward.

"You know what?" Sirius said, snatching the bottle from James, "On second thought, Peter is right."

Lily lowered her hand and saw Sirius had spoken, but he was looking at her. He'd seen the look on Lily's face when she realized what James was doing. He knew that Lily's face had fallen for one reason and one reason only: she couldn't bring herself to say goodbye to James ever again. Sirius knew she'd never be okay with the possibility of losing James and Sirius also knew that James would never forgive himself if anything happened to Lily.

Meanwhile, James just wondered why the Hell Sirius was agreeing with Peter.

"He is?" James implored and even Peter looked at Sirius in wonder.

Sirius nodded firmly, "Yup, it's too dangerous for you to do this with your less than acceptable eyesight."

"I was captain of the quidditch team _and_ lead chaser." James was outraged, "I think my aim is above average."

"No one likes a cocky bastard, James." Sirius said saucily.

"Finally," Peter held out his hand but Sirius gripped the bottle tightly to his own chest.

"You're still out, Peter," Sirius said with a shake of his head.

"What!" Peter looked exasperated, "Then who will blow it up?"

"I will," Sirius replied obviously, "because I'm the best dueller in here and I won't throw away the shot."

Peter threw up his hands and stalked backwards angrily. Lily placed an hand on Sirius' shoulder. He turned his insightful grey eyes on her.

"Thank you," she mouthed to him and he winked, knowing exactly why she was saying thank you.

"What about the rest of us?" James asked angrily, "How do we protect ourselves from the blast?"

"Shield charm?" Lily suggested, "It'll at least keep us from getting killed by rubble."

"We'll need one hell of a shield charm." James said, worry showing through lines on his brow.

Lily tried not to show her worry too, "At least we might make it out of here alive."

Everyone looked around when they heard voices coming down the stairs. Gamp was coming back and he wasn't alone. Sirius motioned for the gang to get behind him. Lily grabbed onto James' hand and they stood, resilient behind Sirius, wands raised. Remus stood on Lily's other side and Peter was standing directly behind them, his wand pointed at the ceiling.

Lily chewed her lip as Sirius raised the bottle of dragon's breath into the air and they waited as the door handle jiggled from the other side.

"I don't know their names," they could hear Gamp's weezy voice, "But they look like trouble."

"I'm sure they could be any matter of spy," a second voice said sourly, "If they were following you suspiciously."

"Well," Gamp mused, "We'll take the girl first either way, her boyfriend will do anything to help her. He threw a temper tantrum when I locked her up earlier."

"Yeah," the second voice said lazily, "he'll break the easiest. Love is weakness."

Lily was shaking in her boots and she looked at James desperately for some kind of reassurance. He was her peace sign, her tranquil waters.

"James," she whispered, showing him the fear in her eyes.

James squeezed her hand and leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers.

"I won't let them touch you," he vowed softly, "I'll kill any of them before they ever even _look_ at you."

She murmured back softly, "don't let go of my hand."

He promised, "I'll hold onto you, until I can't."

Lily closed her eyes and realized what he was promising. He was promised to hold onto her hand until they were forced apart, until the world's evils dragged James away from her kicking and screaming. The very thought made Lily's heart thump loudly in her chest.

The door clicked open.

Everything happened so fast Lily hardly had time to process as Sirius threw the bottle. The bottle arched through the air, the door opened and Gamp froze when he found them all standing free from their shackles. Behind Gamp, another wizard, one they all recognized, froze in his tracks too. It was Severus Snape. He looked shocked to see them all there.

"Gamp!' Snape yelled in disparity, "Don't let any of them get away! They're Order rebels!"

"Lily," James said over the commotion, "I have to tell you something really important and if I don't tell you now, I might never get the chance."

James' grip on Lily's hand tightened and he pressed his forehead back to hers as Sirius shouted the spell.

"Lily," James breathed, "I lo–"

The room exploded the moment Lily pointed waved her wand in Sirius' direction and made as large a shield charm as possible. The shield charm wasn't a match against the explosive dragon breath. Lily's grip was ripped from James' and she felt herself flying backwards and into pile of rubble.

A piece of the ceiling crashed down onto her left leg and she screamed, throwing her head back into stones and rocks. She heard people shouting around her but the dust was so thick that Lily was breathing it in and coughing as she quickly struggled to sit up and point her wand at the rubble on her leg. It floated easily off and to her left but when Lily went to stand up, she crumpled back to the ground. Her leg was definitely broken. Shooting pains were spreading up to her hip and lower back.

Whimpering from the pain, she struggled to get up again, and once more she fell back into the pile of rubble. She had to find the others, she wouldn't dissaperate and leave without knowing they'd all gotten out. Suddenly through the dust she saw brightly colored lights and a distortion of bodies fighting with wands.

"Lily!" a voice called from her left and Sirius appeared.

Lily looked up, thankful for the sight of her friend, "Sirius!"

Sirius jumped over a large piece of concrete and landed next to her, putting a hand to her cheek, "Are you hurt?"

Sirius' face was covered in bruises and cuts. His left arm looked like it had been through a shredder, but he refused to look away from Lily.

"My leg," Lily tried to stand up but couldn't, "It got crushed."

A line appeared between Sirus' eyes and he immeaditly ducked, throwing one of Lily's arms over his shoulders, "Come on," he said, "I'm getting you out of here."

"Wait!" Lily demanded, struggling to get out of his grasp, "Where's James?"

Sirius refused to look her in the eye, "We have to get you out of here, you're going to bleed to death Lily."

"No!" Lily struggled but Sirius had the upper hand.

Lily's eyes strained to see through the clouds of dust and rubble, struggled to find James' lopsided smile. Lily bit at Sirius arm and he yelped, letting her go. Lily started crawling forward.

"Fuck it Evans, we've got to go!"

Sirius grabbed her around the middle and she screamed desperately as Sirius disapperated them. Sirius kept whispering, "I'm sorry, Lily. I'm so sorry," into her ear, as if to make peace for forcing her to leave without James' hand in her own. The squeezing feeling of magic put pressure back on her leg though and Lily screamed for James until her world turned black.

**xXx**

Lily woke back up from the darkness like someone had shocked her awake. She almost flew out of the soft bed she was laying in but her sheets were wrapped around her so tightly that she could barely move. Well, that, and the fact that she had a sharp shooting pain up her leg when she tried moving. Her eyes looked around in panic only to realize she was in Hogwarts' medical ward. Lily stopped moving and turned her head to the left, finding none other than Sirius Black sleeping on the chair next to her.

"Sirius!" she gasped, "What are we doing here?"

Sirius' grey eyes opened in a flash and a huge grin erupted on his face when he saw her awake. He quickly scooted his chair over to her and put one of his hands on her face. His arm looked better than it had the last time she saw him and his face was back to it's unbelievable sharp beauty.

"Dumbledore didn't want anyone asking questions," Sirius explained, "He had me bring you to Hogwarts instead of Mungos."

"Didn't I get crushed by a roof?" Lily asked in shock.

"Yup."

Lily put her head in her hands, "Oh my god."

"So, we may have almost died but at least we have a cool story to tell," Sirius said, with a strong grin that made Lily roll her eyes behind her slightly opened fingers.

"Where're the others?" Lily asked worriedly, her brain screaming James' name over and over again in panic.

"Remus and Peter are on another mission for the Order," Sirius said, "They weren't hurt much in the blast."

 _They weren't much hurt in the blast_ , she thought, _so that means James had been hurt?_

Lily's throat tightened up. Lily's panicked eyes looked back around the room for James' body, on one of the beds. Every single bed was empty save for the one she was in. Panic started flooding through her.

"James-James didn't-" she panicked, "He can't be-"

"Lily," Sirius said, eyebrows furrowing, "James is f-"

And then the doors at the end of the hospital opened and none other than James Potter walked through carrying a tray filled with pumpkin pasties and a worried expression. His hair was in disarray all over his head and his glasses were lopsided. Lily breathed his name in relief and she struggled to get up. James saw the movement and he dropped the tray (Sirius protested) and ran to her bedside.

" _James_ ," Lily half sobbed, reaching her arms out and James fell into her softly, burying his face into her hair.

She clutched his shoulders, breathing in his scent and trying not to cry too hard as he held her tightly. One of his hands was caressing her cheek. James held her so close, she thought he'd never let go but when he finally did it was only to stare deeply into her eyes. Sirius cleared his throat and motioned to the dropped pastries.

"I'm gonna go clean those up and get new ones."

Neither Lily nor James acknowledged Sirius as he walked away from their bedside vigil. Lily swallowed thickly, still feeling like there was dust in her throat and lungs. She moved over best she could and patted the spot next to her. James didn't waste a second, he slowly climbed in next to her and then pulled her into his arms so he could rest his chin on the top of her head. Lily's nose was pressed into his neck and she resisted the urge to kiss the skin exposed there.

Lily heard the door close to the Hospital Wing. She didn't know how much time they'd have alone, the hospital healer would realize she was awake sooner or later. Lily tucked herself deeper into James' grasp. A sob wreaked through her body, even though she tried to hide it.

"Lily?" he whispered softly, "are you okay?"

"No," she struggled, "I'm so sorry."

She tried to pull away, she tried not to place her problems all on him. It was just like when they were at the safe house and she'd go running to his arms when she had a nightmare. No matter the issues between them, James had always been there for her every night, expecting nothing in return. Lily didn't want him to think that's all she needed him for (she needed him for so much more because he meant so much more) so Lily tried pulling from James' grasp but he tugged her closer.

"James, what-"

"This is going to sound awful, but sometimes I wish you'd have nightmares every night so that you'd come let me hold you like this..." His hands traveled through her hair, down her sides and back up to her face, lifting it so that he could look her in her eyes. "I'm such a git, I know, but having you there with me at night helps me with my nightmares. It's like, a reminder that you're still there with me, alive."

"Why do you need a reminder that I'm alive?" Lily murmured.

James closed his eyes and said weakly, "I have nightmares almost every night. Nightmares where I lose everyone I love. Nightmares where I lose you, because I wasn't good enough to protect you. And you, when you come to me after your nightmares, well, it reassures me that you think I'm good enough to save you."

Lily's tears were fresh and she wiped each one away as they stared at each other. Lily reached up to trace his face with her fingers, memorizing each curve again and again.

"I thought I lost you." she told him, "Back in Gamps place, I thought you were dead," she choked out and her shoulder shook as she started crying so she threw herself into James' grasp again, "I thought I'd never hear you laugh when I flirt with you like some stupid teenager..."

"You really do have a problem about flirting with me, don't you?" he teased, shimmying down so that they were nose to nose again, "I can't blame you, I've been told I'm irresistible."

Lily laughed when he waggled his eyebrows suggestively, "James, I'm being serious."

James nuzzled her nose, "Do you remember what happened right before the blast? I was going to tell you something important."

Lily nodded as James wiped away her tears again, "I didn't hear you, the explosion was too loud."

James shook his head, "I'm sorry the blast broke us apart. I was terrified that you were dead."

"I know the feeling," Lily answered, more than understanding the difficulties he was trying to express because hersame fears and worries mirrored his.

One of James' hands met hers under the covers and their fingers intertwined as James continued, "I got into a duel with Snape, the bastard was trying to get at least one of us killed...so I sent Sirius to try and find you while I kept Snape at bay. I told Sirius to get you out of there and not come back for me until he was certain you were safe."

Lily squeezed his hand, "You always have to play the bloody hero."

James chuckled and nudged her face up with his nose, "I don't ever want to feel like that again." he said, "Helpless, because I broke my promise."

"What promise did you break?"

James eyes glowed, "I promised you that I wouldn't let go of you until I absolutely had to," he licked his lips, "I should've been the one who pulled you to safety, not Sirius. I should've been the one who helped you when you almost died...I should've…"

Lily started shaking her head the moment his shoulders dropped, "James, no," she murmured, squeezing his hand and bringing it up to her mouth so she could put her lips on his knuckles, "Don't blame yourself for what happened, please."

James sighed deeply and pressed his forehead to hers, "We should've just gone to the cinemas like you suggested."

Lily actually laughed and that made James crack a smile too. Lily snuggled into his hold, letting go of his hand only so she could run her fingers through his already messy hair. James closed his eyes at Lily's ministrations and hummed appreciatively as she combed out his curls. When she finished his eyes popped open again, practically smouldering at her.

"Have you figured out what I was going to tell you?" he whispered, "Before the blast?"

"No," Lily whispered, "Not exactly."

James chuckled again and his free hand smoothed her fringe from her eyes, "Lily Evans, I have something really important to tell you and if I don't tell you now, I'll deem myself a coward for the rest of my life."

Lily shook her head in disagreement, "You're not a coward."

"I am for keeping this from you for so long."

"Keeping what from me?"

James nuzzled her nose again and whispered passionately, "Lily, I love you."

Lily smirked, "I know."

"I said I lo- _wait_ -" James yanked his head away from her and stared at her incredulously and she giggled into her free hand, "You know?"

Lily nodded and she leaned forward slowly to pull him back down so that their faces were inches apart, "I love you too."

"You do?" James breathed happily.

"I didn't think I did," she confessed, "Until about three weeks ago when we were faking being a married couple to catch a druid and I realized how nice it was just being with you."

"Three weeks ago huh?" he quipped, eyebrow arched, "Do you know when _I_ fell in love with _you_?"

"When?" she smiled.

"From the minute you walked in the door at the safe house and Dumbledore told us you were our new partner," he whispered, "The very moment you turned, looked me in the eye, and told me I had pudding on my glasses."

"In any normal situation, I'd tell you that you're the biggest, sappiest dork I know," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck, "But right now all I want to do is kiss you until I can't breathe."

James laughed as her lips came crashing to his but his laugh quickly faded as her tongue found its way into his eager mouth. The sheets of the hospital bed were in their way and Lily's legs were useless, but that didn't stop James' hands from touching every inch of her he could with his wandering hands as they kissed. Lily's whole body buzzed with endorphins as James' mouth pulled at her own and her heart raced as James pushed down the hospital sheets so he could throw one of his legs over her. Lily's mouth broke away from his as soon as he lowered his body to push gently against hers but she whimpered in pain the minute her hips tried to match his clever shifts.

Immediately, James un-straddled Lily and she protested as he started kissing her neck apologetically.

"I'm sorry," he murmured into her skin, "I'll be more careful."

"It's fine," she complained, "I just can't move my leg yet."

James smirked against her skin, "I'll properly smother you after the skele-gro has your leg in tip top shape," he promised, his teeth nipping at her ear lobe before he began kissing her neck again, "I'm going to ask Dumbledore for a week off to celebrate."

"A whole week?" Lily laughed and then she hitched her breath when James' fingers dropped to the edge of the long white nightshirt she was in.

"A whole week," James repeated, teasing her with his feathery touch on her inner thigh, "We'll go to the tropics and we won't pack anything but our swimsuits."

"Hmm," she hummed happily as his lips returned to her mouth and his fingers drifted higher on her thigh.

" _Oh my_ -This is a _hospital_ , Mr. Potter! Kindly stop assaulting my patient!"

James stopped kissing Lily and she grinned when she saw the annoyance in his eyes. Her grin didn't last when (with a very blatant roll of his eyes) James rolled away from Lily, and his fingers left cold spots where they'd abandoned her. James put both of his feet on the floor and stood up with a disappointed huff.

"It's not assault if it's consensual." James muttered unintelligibly, crossing his arms.

Lily felt just as satisfied without him in the bed beside her but it was worse because Madame Pomfrey, the school nurse, pushed James even farther away and started tucking Lily back into her sheets. Lily at least managed a tiny smile at James' put out expression as he fell into Sirius' long-abandoned chair.

"How's your leg, Lily?" Madame Pomfrey asked as she placed a hand to Lily's forehead, "Oh my, you're burning up."

"Begging your pardon," Lily said and she saw James' prideful smirk behind Pomfrey, "But I don't think that her temperature has anything to do with my leg."

Pomfrey's face fell and she muttered something that sounded like 'not-even-eighteen-yet' before rounding on James in the chair, giving him the stare of death, "If you climb on top of her like that again I will make you wish that Death Eater had managed to slice your stomach open so that your guts fell onto the floor."

"Noted."

James just nodded slowly and Pomfrey, looking dangerous, stalked back to her office. Lily looked at James with wide eyes. James stared back at her.

"Pomfrey's hated me since school," he stated, "I used to sneak firewhiskey into Remus after the full moon."

"What did she mean," Lily asked weakly, "Your guts on the floor?"

James flushed, "Oh er, well…" James reached for the edges of his shirt and lifted up.

Lily gasped, her fingers covering her mouth. There was a clear scar on his stomach, two scars actually, forming an X on his lower abdomen. James saw her expression and lowered his shirt before coming back over to grasp her worried face in his hands.

"It's fine," he assured her, "it looks worse than it was. My shield charm protected me enough...it didn't even make it through to my important organs."

"Who did this to you?" Lily quizzed him, "How long were you bleeding for? Does it hurt?"

James laughed and kissed her nose before shaking his head, "Snape tried leveling the playing field by making me bleed but I expected it and put up a shield charm just in time. In the end, it just looked bad because of all the blood."

Lily kissed James long, hard and slow before pulling away.

"If I ever see that slimeball again, I'll murder him." Lily vowed and James offered her an adoring look.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you most."

"Impossible."

"You're impossible."

" _Me_?"

"So are you two together finally, or not?" Sirius spoke up from the door where he'd just entered, "Because I have a running bet with Peter and I need to win or I have to do Pete's wash for like, a two years."

Lily didn't answer Sirius, instead, she grabbed a fistful of James' shirt and tugged him down so that his lips pressed firmly against hers. James smiled against Lily's lips as Sirius whooped loudly from the doorway. Madame Pomfrey had to come out a second time, this time to throw James and Sirius out. James snuck back in thirty minutes later and stayed with Lily the rest of the night, holding her tightly through her dreams and kissing her softly to ward off his nightmares.

The next morning Lily woke up in James' arms to Sirius walking through the doors of the hospital wing with plates full of breakfast. Lily's toes stretched, running along James' legs playfully as Sirius announced loudly to the half asleep couple, "Nobody panic, but Pomfrey's on her way back and threatened to personally throw me off the astronomy tower if James snuck back in with you last night."


End file.
